I ended up putting Cole in his crib yesterday evening for a timeout so we could both calm down. He was screaming and crying and Mommy was about to lose it! So I put him in there, came back downstairs for about 2 minutes, took a couple of bites of my dinner, then went back and got him. He had calmed down to the sniffling stage, so he joined us back at the table to finish dinner. Then I thought about it...should I have/have not put him in his crib for a timeout? I don't want to make him scared of his bed. We have enough sleep/going to bed issues as it is! Then again, it was a place that would contain him and there would be a little bit of distance between us and the crying for a moment. I can't decide!! This was the first time we have done it. WDYT?
Anyone else use the crib, or any other arguments for not using it?
Re: Using Crib for timeouts...Yay or Nay??
I wouldn't use the crib simply because you don't want him to associate it with being bad and having to go in there.
What about setting up a PnP somewhere in the house and using that instead?
I don't think it's an issue of being "scared." Unless you're putting a Komodo dragon or something in there with him during timeout, but that's a much larger problem.
I couldn't do it because Joseph hates his crib during daylight already. I don't want that to stretch to evening. He sleeps too well to risk it.
We use the PnPs when he's out of control. Matthew and Joseph watch hockey together, so Matt calls it the Penalty Box, and tells him he's getting a 2 minute minor.
I used to have the time out corner in our old apartment. Then I used a copy paper box lid when we were moving. LOL
Now we have the time out stool. It is a stool that was left in our new house's attic. It was a childs stool that was wedged between the rafters it is big enough for DS's rear to sit on. It has a painted rocking horse on it and the date 1921 so I couldnt part with it. So now we use that. It is successful bc Logan threw a fit the other day and when he made eye contact with me he just sat on it.
I saw this come up yesterday as well. We just use the crib for sleeping purposes. Time-outs have been on the couch in the living room, in plain sight (we have an open floor plan, so I can see DD from the kitchen). We started this at about 12 months. She was already able to get down from the couch by herself, so safety wasn't a concern. She cries for a minute or two and then gets down and comes back over to DH and I.
I say use whatever works for you- the couch is convenient for us and DD understands it's a time-out. She still loves to sit on it aside from that, so I'm not concerned about association. It's a matter of having a separate space (off the floor, away from her toys) where she can calm down and it's clear that she's being removed from the other situation (throwing food, toys, etc.) for a moment.
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO
I know they say you shouldn't use the crib because your child might see the crib as a bad place rather than a safe place. That said, I used Jack's crib for time outs when he was 16m or 17m-20m. The only time I put him in there was when he was completely out of sorts and needed a time out to calm down and collect himself. It was a safe place for him to calm down. He always, every single time, came out a completely different child than the one who went in. I never put him in for misbehaving since he didn't really misbehave at that age. It was only when he was throwing a fit and there was nothing else I could do.
I did it less than six times total.
The books I've read caution against the crib for the same reasons listed by PP's.
You don't want the child to assosciate bed/sleeping with being in trouble.
I've always used his room and closed the door.
Only so much damage he can do in there. Any destruction or mess he makes in a fit of rage he then is responsible for cleaning up.
The books had me prepared for an all out destruction tornado but he's never even once thrown anything or disrupted his room.
I like having him in there because he can get a hold of his lovey. Often that will expedite the process of calming him down.
GL!
Fun times!
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.